CHRISTOPHER VENUS, PT, MPT, NCS HOME: 209 Bernice Street Phone: (412)780-7012 15237 BUSINESS: UPMC Centers for Rehab Services Phone: (412)586-6900 UPMC Mercy South Side 2000 Mary Street Suite 1218, First Floor 15203 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION: Baccalaureate in Health Sciences 5/93 Duquesne University Masters in Physical Therapy 8/94 Duquesne University Professional License: Licensed Physical Therapist Pennsylvania #PT-008675-L Certification: American Heart Association: Basic Life Support NDT Certified APTA Certified Clinical Instructor (3/07) APTA Certified Neurological Clinical Specialist (7/08) APTA Certified Advanced Clinical Instructor (8/08) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Physical Therapy Residency Program Director UPMC Centers for Rehab Services 9/08-present Provides physical therapy assessment and treatment using advanced clinical skills in the specialty area of neurology. Serves as the coordinator for the neurologic residency program. Responsible for annual reports regarding residency to APTA. Responsible for ensuring the smooth transition of the resident from one clinical site to another. Responsible for the coordination and instruction of the clinical faculty/mentors involved in the neuro residency.
Physical Therapy Coordinator for Clinical Education Outpatient Sites 7/1/16 present Provides the coordination of physical therapy students and interns in the outpatient network throughout UPMC s system. Works closely with the Director of Clinical Education (DCE) from accredited schools of physical therapy to place students in the most appropriate clinics. Works with clinical instructors, facility directors and DCEs if problems arise with student placements. Adjunct Clinical Faculty 5/09-present University of Pittsburgh School of Physical Therapy Active in developing a standardized outcome to apply as a grading scale for the Doctorate of Physical Therapy students as they matriculate through their yearlong clinical affiliation. Adjunct Clinical Instructor Duquesne University School of Physical Therapy 8/11-present Active in providing physical therapy students with guidance in the clinical setting to insure that they apply their didactic knowledge safely and effectively. Senior Physical Therapist, Inpatient/Outpatient UPMC Centers for Rehab Services 9/06-Current Evaluates patient s mobility and motor assets and liabilities for functional performance. Provides goal directed, activity oriented treatment to promote optimum independence in functional mobility and daily life tasks. Ensures continuation of performance through effective education of the patient, family or support system. Provides adaptive methods and equipment as appropriate to enhance performance. Treats individuals with both neurological and orthopedic injuries. Attends weekly staffing conferences, including the whole rehabilitation team. Active in the application of body weight supported treadmill training Program Coordinator, Spinal Cord Injury Program 10/03 9/06 Effectively develops the Inpatient Program to assure overall quality, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and volume growth. Coordinates all services to enhance patient outcomes and program development. Mediator of biweekly team meetings to discuss pertinent programmatic information. Provides administration with quarterly outcome reports with an included action plan.
Involvement with patient and service satisfaction. Active participation in Performance Improvement activities to enhance patient outcomes by the time of hospital discharge. Senior Clinician, Assistive Technology and Spinal Cord Injury 09/03-09/06 Acts as a consultant and resource person for the physical therapy staff, conducts clinical research, as time permits educates staff, students and the community on current information in the specialty area, and develops and updates treatment protocols to enhance clinical skills and advance clinical practice of the physical therapy staff. Performs duties and responsibilities of a staff physical therapist. Schedules inservices to promote education and competency among the physical therapy staff. Involvement in research projects to improve the treatment and life of those individuals with spinal cord injuries. Team Leader, Spinal Cord Injury Unit 05/06 09/06 Responsible for immediate management of the physical therapy staff on the spinal cord injury unit. This includes patient assignments, punch detail reporting, direct management of the staff, yearly performance review reporting and weekly meetings with the Director of Rehabilitation Services, as well as input on equipment purchasing for the department. Staff Physical Therapist, Spinal Cord Injury Inpatient 9/94 7/96, 1/99 09/03 Outpatient 7/96 1/99 Evaluates patient s mobility and motor assets and liabilities for functional performance. Provides goal directed, activity oriented treatment to promote optimum independence in functional mobility and daily life tasks. Ensures continuation of performance through effective education of the patient, family or support system. Provides adaptive methods and equipment as appropriate to enhance performance. Treats individuals primarily with spinal cord injuries, but also involved in the treatment of those individuals with multiple sclerosis, stroke, Guillian Barre, miscellaneous neurological disorders, orthopedic disorders, amputees and brain injuries. Attends weekly staffing conferences, including the whole rehabilitation team.
Participates in the Assistive Technology Program wheelchair evaluation clinics with local vendors, and responsible for ordering appropriate durable medical equipment. Participant in the aquatic physical therapy program. Involvement in the Chronic Pain Management Program. Participation in Baclofen trial evaluation. Casual Pool Physical Therapist 2/98 5/00 Western Pennsylvania Hospital Involved in the evaluation and treatment of acute and sub-acute care inpatients. Home Health Physical Therapist 5/95 11/95 Home Health Services of Allegheny County Involved in the evaluation and treatment of home-bound individuals of various diagnoses. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: Active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, including 1993 Present membership in the Neurology section since 2007. Performance as a Clinical Instructor for physical therapy students. Performance as a Clinical Evaluator for matriculation examinations at the University of Pittsburgh and at Duquesne University. Lecturer on various spinal cord injury related topics at Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh and Slippery Rock University, as well as at local physical therapy assistant programs. 1994 Present 1997 Present 1995 Present Participant in the H.O.P.E. Network, a community program that 1994 2007 promotes a health and active lifestyle by providing those with disabilities a means to actively participate in programs such as water skiing, snow skiing, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis and hand cycling, just to name a few. Instructor for the back injury prevention seminar at HealthSouth 1996 2001
Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital. Attendance at the Shoulder Pain in Wheelchair Users course by the 5/97 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in. Performance as a research advisor for Chatham College physical therapy 1997 students, studying perceived exertion for those individuals with spinal cord injuries. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (Con t) Attendance at the Hartford Ski Spectacular by DSUSA in Breckenridge, 12/97 CO to learn to teach downhill skiing to individuals with disabilities. Attendance at the Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Management in SCI 12/98 in Hagerstown, MD which was presented by RIC. Attendance at the Principles of Wheeled Mobility by the University 10/99 of Pittsburgh Medical Center in. Presented the seating and wheeled mobility portion of the ABILITIES/ 4/02 POSSIBILITIES Opening Doors to Successful Outcomes, a presentation to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, held by the Assistive Technology Team at HealthSouth Harmarville in. Presented the portion concerning ambulation and wheeled mobility at 6/02 a Spinal Cord Injury conference presented at Allegheny General Hospital. Clinical evaluator in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 12 Week 2002 2003 Parallel Group Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of Oral Fampridine-SR in Subjects with Moderate to Severe Spacticity Resulting From Chronic, Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury. Attendance at MEDTRADE expositions to learn about the latest in 10/95, 10/97 wheeled mobility and rehabilitation medical equipment, as well as 10/02, 10/05 the most recent trends in reimbursement. Presented to a multidisciplinary team regarding the physical therapy 10/04, 11/04 portion of the course Spinal Cord Injury: A Multidisciplinary Approach, sponsored by HealthSouth. This course was presented in Charlottesville, VA and Plano, TX respectively. Co-presenter for Clinical Connections Continuing Education series at 1/07 UPMC South Side Hospital regarding current literature regarding
body weight supported treadmill training and its application to treatment. Active mentor in Neurological Residency Program at UPMC in the outpatient clinical setting. 5/08-present Attended and Co-Presented Creative Community Reintegration: 10/08 Blending the Continuum at the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Symposium in PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (Con t) Attendance at APTA Combined Sections Meeting 2/09, 2/10, 2/11 1/12, 2/13, 2/14 Accredited in the use of the Lokomat system by an official Hocoma 9/09 representative at UPMC Mercy, Attended Parkinson s Disease and other Movement Disorders, an 5/08, 6/09 Update for the Clinical Practitioner by UPMC in Accredited in the use of the Walk Aide system by an official Innovative 7/09 Neurotronics representative at UPMC IRR outpatient, Attendance at Activity Based Restorative Therapy: applied in spinal 9/09 cord injury. presentation at the International Spinal Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD Attendance at Relearning Kinesia Treatment for Parkinson s Disease and Related Movement Disorders course in 10/09 Presented to local neurologic-focused therapists on the appropriateness 12/09 and use of the Walk Aide system to improve gait. CEU s applied for. Presented at APTA CSM on Functional Electrical Stimulation and 2/11 Central Nervous System Disorders: The Responses of Different Patient Populations to Peroneal Nerve FES When Used Alone or in Combination With Other Treatment Modalities. Responsible for the course content that focused on spinal cord injury. Attendance at the Annual Symposium on Regenerative 11/11, 11/12 Rehabilitation in American Board of Physical Therapy Residency & Fellowship Education 2012 2014 Program Services Committee member
Presented at UPMC Mercy Brain Injury Conference on the use of 11/13 Peroneal nerve stimulus to improve walking in neurologically involved patients. Presented at PPTA Southwest District sponsored Mini-CSM regarding 3/14 functional progression in ambulation in those individuals with spinal cord injuries entitled Spinal Cord Injury and Ambulation. Participation as a Clinical Expert witness involving a legal case in New Jersey regarding proper technique for treating an individual with a spinal cord injury. This involved creating a document to refute the plaintiff s expert witness. Participation as a faculty in the UPMC Geriatric Residency program, which involves mentoring the geriatric resident during the outpatient rotation of the program. 2014 - present 2014 present Co-Presenter at UPMC Mercy Spinal Cord Injury Conference regarding 5/14/16 case studies and in importance of correct and appropriate wheelchair seating.